A Shift In Destiny
by erikzdonna15
Summary: Raoul has been set free from Erik's lair from the pleading of Christine. He runs to Meg, leaving the poor Christine to live with Erik in fear and lonliness. Meg gives Raoul poor advice, and soon, Raoul goes missing from the city, and the people's hopes fo
1. Chapter 1

**A Shift In Destiny**

**by: erikzdonna15**

Well, hey all you people from the WB MB! Here is chapter 1... I hope you enjoy it, because I worked by butt off for you peoples, and for the people here who will submit their reviews. Thanks to everyone who pushed me to start this! 333!

Chapter 1: Testing The Water

The innermost part of the cave was filled with the scent of burning candles and untouched, dusty objects in which the man rarely was associated with. Christine stood at the mouth of the lake and stared at her reflection on the pale blue water. Mist swirled in circular motions all around her body and she felt a swift breeze flow through her hair and touch her skin softly. In her mind, she was still frightened, but in her soul, she had a longing that she had never known before. A longing to look beyond the man in the mask, hidden from the dark, cold world in which he was completely secluded from. A longing to touch him again, and feel his presence near her... touching her... loving her. She kneeled down and studied the lake's mystery. The water was warm from the sun's beams shining through the broken stones from outside of the lair, yet she still felt a cold sensation at the tip of her fingers. It was like how she felt about Erik that very night she he had brought her here; she felt that everything was right about being with him, but inside she felt, there was something that she could not escape from. The terror of his deformity and the monstrosity of his behavior kept her from reveiling her true feelings. She swirled her hands around, feeling the warmth of the water knowing that what she felt was not what was true. Christine's thoughts trailed off to Raoul. She thought of him often, thinking of how he used to make her happy inside, and the deep part of her soul knew that she was linked to him in some way, but destiny lit the flames and burned that link forever. Even as the light breeze swirled the lightweight mist around the lair, destiny can turn the course of even the most predictable futures.

Christine stood up and tuned into the sound of footsteps from a nearby room. They echoed in every part of her body and she shivered at the thought of him returning to torture her once more. Erik entered the room without a single glance at Christine's tearstained milky white face, and he headed for the grate. The ropes still lingered on the bars and she could still see Raoul standing there in complete, all-consuming fear, cold and trembling. She turned her head away at the sight and Erik untied every strand of the lasso until the bars were cleared of it, and he tossed it to shore. Christine was standing like a stone statue, and she did not dare move because she knew he was reading her every step, and every expression on her emotional face.

"What do you want from me, Christine?"

Silence.

"I could only do what I thought was seemly, and what I did is done. Is there nothing I can do to please you as my guest? Or am I, for a timeless existence, at a loss?"

Only a glance at his disorderly face made Christine break out in hollow tears. She knew there was nothing left to do but live, but how could she even dare to look at the monster that stood near her? What could she ask of him that would not be turned away? Nothing but thoughts of spending eternity with the man she only had feelings of hatred for devoured her mind.

"I see, now that you cannot accept that I have done what I feel is best for you."

"Best for who, Erik?" Christine asked abruptly. "Certainly not for me, but for your own selfishness. I cannot look upon you and smile or have rational thoughts about you, but I do see death. Death to me, and my dreams. Everything I have to live for has been whittled away in a single night. What more do you want me to feel? All I see at the moment, is a curse and a heartless man."

Erik heard but did not grasp what she was actually feeling. Had he not given her a chance to live? He loved her and he knew that the only way he could ever have her for himself is if it was by force, so his mind and soul were set on keeping her with him as long as she lived.

"You can learn to love me, Christine. I am no demon, I am a man, and if you cannot see that, I can make you see it."

He detached his mask and threw it into the water.

"I have no use for this anymore, for now you see that I am flawed, but I am still whole. Do not label me by what you see, but by who I am, and you will see, Christine, that I can be anything you want me to be."

He left her side and strode quickly into his living quarters, with one single tear still clinging to his cheek. His anger soon turned to loneliness, and doubt. The only thing his mind was consumed with was what that boy would do to save the woman who was now a prisoner in Erik's own chains. In a sense, Christine was now the prey who was chained forever to the gate that now stood between the world, the Opera Populaire, and Raoul was going to do whatever it took to find her.

Raoul became out of breath by the time he had reached Meg and Mme Giry's temporary home, and his face was burning with anger and determination. He slammed against the hard wooden door and Meg answered briefly as if she had been expecting his presence at that very moment.

"Monsieur Le Vicomte! What on earth are you doing here so early?"

She thought for a moment and a look of terror took over her expression.

"Where is Christine!" she asked frightened.

Raoul caught his breath and asked if he could join her inside. Meg quickly opened the door to reveal a small, empty shack in which she had found that night to stay in. Mme Giry was out in the marketplace buying food and clothing for the two of them, while Meg was tending to some of the other dancers from the destroyed, empty opera. Raoul was soon sitting near a total of ten girls who were at his side immediately, admiring his strength and handsome looks. Meg, being very persistent, asked them to leave the two alone to talk.

After the ladies left, Meg looked into Raoul's eyes and quickly could tell that something undoubtedly horrible had happened.

"What happened last night, Monsieur Le Vicomte?"

"He has her captive, mademoiselle. He has her in that dark lair all by herself. I could have saved her," he spoke in anger, "but that man, he threatened to kill me if she had not agreed to be his prisoner. I could have done something, Meg, but I did nothing."

Meg looked down in shock and dismay. Raoul was trying to hold in every emotion he was feeling, but in his words, all he spoke of was anger towards Erik, and himself.

"There was nothing you could do, Monsieur Le Vicomte. It was destined to happen long ago when she first met the man in the mask."

"She told you of him? Do you know him?"

"I know of him, yes. Mostly from my mother. He is so mysterious... so powerful. He controls much of everything, and now he has control of my most dearest friend. But I must tell you now, there is nothing that can be done to save her now."

Meg touched his arm to comfort him, but he moved quickly at her words.

"I do not believe that."

Meg looked up surprised and confused at what Raoul said, so determined and so sure.

"You are very sure of yourself, Monsieur Le Vicomte."

"I know that she can free herself of him. Somehow, she will. And when she does, I will be there for her. I always will."

"You are going to throw your life away on something that might never happen? What if she does not get away from that man... will you never marry?"

He thought deeply about the question. He had never thought of what he might have done if Christine was not there in his life. He was sure he loved her, but could he ever wait for her long enough to be lonely for the rest of his days? That question soon came to his mind... one that could change the way he felt about Christine forever.

"I am not sure," he said quickly. He sat up from his seat and left the shack without leaving anything for Meg to say to him about his decision. All she knew was that it was going to take more than words for Christine to get out of captivity, and whatever it was, it was up to Christine to figure out.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, heres chapter two, and I know you all have been dying for it... well not really. But here it is, and I hope you enjoy it as much as you did chapter one. I worked just as hard! 3333!

Chapter 2: A Dream and A Nightmare

Christine sat up her quiet room, and felt hot sweat run down her forehead. She wiped it away and realized that she had been dreaming of the night before, and what would have happened if she had not chose Erik, and Raoul had been killed. Dreaming of this, she feared to sleep again, so she got up from her bed and looked around wide-eyed and wondering. There was only the light of one soft glowing candle, and she could not see much of anything in front of her. The sound of the water trickling was heard from outside her room from the surface of the lake, and shivers jolted through her spine at the sound of it. Her feet were quiet and swift-moving as she left her room out to the lustrous, humid cave of light and mist. Everything looked beautiful and seemed to glow brightly, like she was in a beautiful, delightful dream. For a moment, she was shocked that she was nearly smiling, and she gazed on and peered through the many items that Erik had collected over the years. Christine stepped down the stairs and walked through the crowd of bright candles and thought of that night long ago when Erik had sang to her. Her angel of music caressed her body and gave her a sensation of desire in her heart, and she closed her eyes and trusted his words. As she thought of this, she spun around, dazzled and awakened by the feeling of warmth and pleasure flying through her mind and body.

Music floated through her mind and consumed her soul. She never wanted this moment to end, and never wanted to feel cold and dead like she had last night ever again. As she stood at the side of the lake, she felt a warm touch on her neck and she gave in to it . She didn't care what it was, it just made her feel powerful inside. It spread down to her arms, her hands and then back up to her chest. Her body shivered and she leaned her head back with a smile at the feeling, and it caressed her throughout her body. Then, suddenly, she spun around, and came face to face with the man whom she loathed the most. Erik gazed at her lovingly, but she resisted and pushed hard away from him until she was at a distance from him.

"Stay away from me, Erik. You deceived me once more, and you will not do it again."

"I just wanted to feel you again, Christine. I wanted to touch you like the night when you did not care what was behind my mask, but what was deep in my soul. Why can you not feel that way about me again?"

"Because, its not your face that frightens me! Its you! Its everything inside of you! That is why you cannot feel me like you did, because that night that I was here, you cloaked every real thing about yourself and hid it from me for your own selfish reasons. Now, I see who you really are. Not only did your physical mask reveal the monster in you, but so did your spiritual mask. You cannot feel what you cannot love, and I cannot love you."

Erik became weak inside. He felt as if someone had paralyzed him and then knocked his legs out from under him. He could not move or feel. He just stood, and watched her.Atear streamed down his lifeless face and he felt cold. Christine hardened her anger and tears, also, fell once more on that same ground, and she left him hastily. Suddenly the dream that she had that very night became a nightmare and seemed very insignificant compared to the one she had just experienced. She slept cold and shaken for the rest of the night until morning shown upon her. The light cast on her face made her seem warm and beautiful, but underneath it all, she felt cold and repulsive.

Erik did not sleep that night. He sat at his table surrounded by lit candles and music sheets, moving around the small figurines that he had made of Christine and himself. Christine was wearing the wedding dress he had made for her, and he was wearing his mask. That cursed mask in which he hated with everything in him. At his rage of seeing it, he picked up his figurine and threw it at the mirror near his organ. He held his tired, unpeaceful head in his hands and sobbed for Christine and for his life. He prayed that somehow he could be different... that he had no deformity, or monstrous face. Then, he thought, _I could have Christine. I could have been someone, and been with her. She could have belonged to me!_

Every possibility ran through his mind and everything he thought he could change made him feel more loathsome and unworthy of Christine's love. How he wished he could be the man she wanted him to be. He knew that the only way she could love him now, was to be a man, and not a monster.


End file.
